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Reports from mobile MT reader – junction of Vernon Place and Southampton Row. Lots of blood, lorry, copper on the scene saying that a cyclist was killed… although we need to be careful with the words of cops – it was a cop that said that Ephraim was dead.

I will try and get some more details if I can…

If confirmed, this would be the 2nd fatal collision in a week, and the 3rd resulting in critical injuries.

It’s not a particularly dangerous junction. Just very heavily trafficed. There’s a bus/cyclist only light just before, which encourages cyclists to stay left, so easy to see why so many cyclists end up on the left.

Yes – just found out it was a bloke, sounded like a women and couldn’t see much under the lorry. Still gives me the shivers thinking about it. I was about 25 metres past the junction on Southampton Row and when I turned round it was pretty much all over but the lorry driver didn’t seem to notice and kept going. Only when a guy on the pavement screamed at him to stop did he pull up. It seems to be another feature of these incidents – lorry drivers don’t notice the cyclist and often don’t even realise they have gone over someone. I have to say I had turned left into Southampton Row against the red light to avoid precisely what happened to this poor guy. Have now sent a letter to my MP as part of the LCC campaign here www.lcc.org.uk/index…

Yeah the bastards got me on theobalds on monday. They set a trap and caught Zack off guard. They tried to tell me i was a danger to blind people crossing when it’s green for pedestrians. I asked them what they thought about all the road deaths lately caused by large vehicles and they tried to tell me the last person was killed because they went through a red light. I shouted back, “attica, attica”.R.I.P

I was one of those people Bill; except I hadn’t jumped the light and therefore only got ‘the lecture’ and rode home feeling pissed off. Not enough space here to go into the idiocy spouted by these two plods (one of whom claimed to have been at the accident this morning)but when I asked how many motorists/motorbikers they had pulled over for being in the advanced box, next to which they were standing, they refused to answer; i.e. none. This was after telling me the box was there for my safety and I had to stay in it till the light changed; which I fucking had anyway.

Its outrageous, everyone knows how dangerous is a bloody HGV in Central London but business is worth more then life. A wile ago Bill trying to get a ban was like a mute screaming for help.
Only when the cost to send an HGV in town will be greater than the income produced they will make them go round and send in smaller vehicles.
For the time beeing they prefer to keep killing cyclists and then blame them for jumping red lights!
This is pure violence and it begs to be fought back.

Think windscreen…
Think London Bricks…
Think how much it cost…
Think you can’t drive it without it…

Every time a lorry invades Central London a life deserves to be saved…stop it!

Bill, the lady killed 2 weeks ago across from Cycle surgery on Holloway Rd was crossing from the west side pushing her bike on foot.She was hit by a lorry going north at slow speed-once again it shows that the driver didn’t see someone on their left just at their front.

This was a tragic accident on the 24th September, I am a cyclist and went through this intersection in the same direction what appeared to be about 5-10 min afterwards (The ambulance and fire brigade nearly knocked me over in their frenzy!).

Few things to point out about this accident.

(1) I went through about 6:45am, it was still QUITE dark, so did the cyclist have lights and reflective kit on?

(2) That intersection I believe is a nightmare because at the other side of the intersection the road splits into two directions with poorly painted lines so if you want to vear right you basically have to ride down the middle of the road.

(3) The bus lane/cycle lane is a NIGHTMARE leading up to that intersection, there are that many potholes, changes in road surface types and road surface angles that its nearly impossible as a cyclist to use the lane. If you watch cyclists when they reach this intersection they are not very often right on the left but hovering between the left (Bus) lane and the middle lane so if you are riding up beside a large vehicle (I.E Lorry / Bendy bus) they probably aren’t expecting to see you there.

(4) What the hell is an articulated Lorry doing in Central London. I don’t mind Rigid Lorries but the ones that pivot … are they really necessary in Central London!!? Dangerous.

I am in no way blaming the rider here however we as cyclists have to be EXTREMELY careful when riding on Central London streets particularly in the early hours / late hours of the day when its dark. You have to be proactive, don’t ride at a speed that you cannot stop to a standstill quickly always be ready to make an emergency stop (NEVERRELAX) or make an emergency swerve.

And remember……. If you are a cyclist approaching the back of a bus or lorry…… i’ve spoken to a number of bus drivers and Lorry drivers and the stickers they put on the back are true

“If you can’t see my mirrors, I can’t see you!” So stay back, don’t be impatient and try sneaking up on their side and you will be fine.

The cyclist killed here was called Wan-Chen McGuiness, she worked at the same place I work. She was apparently wearing the usual hi-viz gear and her bike had lights fitted.
I think we should assume that she had taken all the usual steps to make herself visible.